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Newer doesn’t mean better

There’s a tendency to assume that the latest medicine to hit the market is better than older drugs. In fact, older drugs may be just as good or better – and possibly safer – says Dr Ike Iheanacho, editor of the journal Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, in an article in the British Medical Journal.

He says that often there isn’t enough good information supplied by the manufacturer, and the drug turns out be unsafe.

He advises that if a doctor says: ‘here’s a new drug, let’s try this’, patients should ask:

· What is the claimed benefit – is there good scientific evidence that it really is better than the older drug? Has it been tested in independent studies reported in journals?
· Has it been accepted by the medical profession (by specialists and hospitals) as useful and safe?
· Is there a generic version that is cheaper?

There’s plenty of information available to consumers about side effects and effectiveness of particular drugs. The National Prescribing Service, for example, has an information hotline (the Therapeutic Advice and Information Service) on 1300 138 677.

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